Two Worlds of a Misguided Tactician
by Goojila
Summary: She was asked to work in order to atone for her sins. The problem was that Katarina wasn't sure if her sins were atonable. One burdened tactician joins an amnesiac one on a journey not only to save the world but to also find the path of redemption.
1. Sin

**No beta for this chapter :(**

**Disclaimer: Goojila owns nothing. Nothing at all.**

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**Two Worlds of a Misguided Tactician**

**Chapter 1: Sin**

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A lone figure worked quietly and diligently into the night. Her desk, lit by a single candle, had various documents and reports scattered about. Allowing her eyes and brain a small break from the complex papers that sat in front of her, the young woman let out a small sigh and began to massage her temples with her fingers. Her liege, although a benevolent, just, and exemplary ruler, was not particularly keen on the economic side of running a kingdom; thus, the burden fell upon her to oversee this daunting aspect. Still, this never bothered her.

After all, this was a small price to pay for the horrible atrocities she had committed.

Besides, even though economics was not her specialty, she was quite adequate at it. In a weird way, it was relaxing and served to keep her wits sharp when war was not about.

"Working late into the night again, I see."

Allowing a small smile to grace her features, the young woman cracked her head towards the direction of where the voice had come from and gave a small bow. "Yes, Your Highness," she said before resuming her attention on her documents. While this behavior would be considered rude by many, she knew that her liege was not one for such details.

King Marth slowly emerged from the shadows of the room. The moonlight that shone through the large window illuminated his handsome face.

That handsome face was marred by a frown.

"I worry about you, Katarina."

Katarina gave a pause, her right hand gently setting the quill down onto her table. A puzzled look crossed her face. "What do you mean, Your Highness?"

"Your work has consumed you, Katarina. Tell me, when was the last time you took a prolonged break from all of this? Have you been talking to your friends?" the king asked, already well aware of the answer. "Cecille is quite worried about you, you know."

The tactician did not answer. Guilt plagued her before she quickly squashed it with logic. "If I do not work, then who will? Who will oversee the trade routes of Altea? Who will ensure that the kingdom wi-"

"That is what my advisors are for, Katarina," Marth admonished gently, his eyes brimming with compassion and worry. "Caeda is also quite worried about you. Ever since Kri-"

"Please do not speak of him."

Tense silence settled in between the two. Although the dark obscured his vision, Marth could still make out Katarina's trembling right hand. The king sighed and walked over towards the young woman.

"It was not your fault."

Katarina did not reply as her body began to shake as well. Whether it was due to anger or anguish, Marth did not know.

"We were all hurt deeply, Katarina," Marth continued as he placed a hand on her right shoulder. The shaking stopped. "But he would not want you to despair like this."

"No. This is my punishment," Katarina whispered, her eyes glazed and soulless as tears threatened to stream down her beautiful face. "I have brought nothing but misery for everyone here, yet, I am treated with unprecedented kindness."

The king gave a small smile. "Kindness is a gift, not a form of payment. It is something we willingly choose to give to you. Katarina, all of us are worried about you. So please… come back to us."

"I… I cannot."

Silence once again settled in between the two. Sighing, the hero king ran a hand through his hair before turning his attention back onto the purple haired woman. "Then at the very least, take a break from all of this. Like I said earlier, ever since the incident, you have buried yourself in your work. Take some time off. Talk to your friends once again. At the very least, go outside and get some fresh air. Tell me, Katarina, when was the last time you set foot outside of the castle?"

It was something she could not recall, begrudgingly. Unable to argue against her liege, Katarina gave a stiff nod towards Marth. "You are right, Your Highness." The woman began collecting the documents in front of her. "I guess a day away from all of this would not hurt me."

"A week."

"Excuse me?"

"You will be taking a vacation, Katarina. Somewhere away from all of this. The location of your vacation is up to your discretion. This is an order, not a request. Should a guard catch you attempting to get back into the castle, I will have him send you away until the week is over,"

Katarina sat in her chair, shocked. "I… I…"

"This is for your own good," Marth told her gently. "If anything, then please do this for me. I cannot bear watching one of my comrades waste away like this."

"…Very well, Your Highness," Katarina relented, her shoulders and head dropping slightly in defeat. "And I am guessing this vacation will begin tomorrow?"

The king nodded, obviously pleased at the outcome. "And I will not mind if you decide to stay away for an extended amount of time. If anything, this vacation should be at least a month."

Katarina sighed and then gave the king a wry smile. "I assure you, Your Highness, that I will be back promptly in a week."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Marth replied with a bitter smile. "Although I guess I must take the small victories whenever I can. In that case, tactician, you are dismissed from your duties until you have completed your given respite. Sleep well."

"… Good night, Your Highness."

* * *

_"Hahaha… So what will you do now, boy? Strike her down?"_

_Please…. Anything but this…._

_"Damn you!"_

_No… _

_"Enough of this. Go forth!"_

_No…_

_"Katarina… Wai-"_

* * *

"NOOOO!"

Sweat profusely dripped drown Katarina's face as she was jolted wide awake. Her breathing, erratic and heavy, would not settle down as the tactician did her best to calm herself down. The woman slowly sat herself upright.

That nightmare again.

"Kris, I'm so sorry," Katarina whispered to herself over and over again as she placed a hand over her stinging heart. Each beat of heart brought excruciating pain for the purple haired woman, though she did not mind the pain.

This was merely her punishment.

"King Marth, you were wrong… I do not deserve kindness," Katarina muttered,wiping her eyes with the sleeves of the white blouse she was wearing.

Wait. White blouse…?

Katarina froze, eyes widened considerably as her mind began to suddenly take notice of her surroundings. Why was she wearing a white blouse when she clearly went to bed with the work clothes she always wore? And this bed… It was much firmer than the one she was accustomed to. It was precisely then a single thought dawned upon Katarina.

She was not in her room.

"_Some tactician I am,_" Katarina thought to herself bitterly as she mentally berated herself for not noticing her situation much sooner. "_Instead of properly acting like the tactician I'm supposed to be, I wallow in my depression…. It's no wonder what happened to Kris happened. After all, if I was a lot more attentive, the-_"

"You awake in there?"

"_Middle-aged woman. Most likely a married. Probably the one who brought me here, although she doesn't seem to hostile judging from the hesitancy and fluctuation in her voice_," she thought as Katarina inferred as much as she could from that single line. The best thing to do in this situation would be to invite this person into her room and extract as much information as possible. Hopefully, the exchange would go smoothly. Clearing her throat, Katarina called out, "Yes, I am."

The door swung opened and a stout woman walked in with a wide grin. An inn-keeper to be exact, judging by the clothes and manner the woman carried herself. "Thank the gods that you woke up. You sure did give me and my husband quite the scare when we find you passed out just like that!"

"Passed out…?" Katarina asked, a magnitude of questions rushing into her mind at the acquisition of that tidbit of information. Why would she be passed out in the first place? What about King Marth? Just what in the world was going on?

The woman frowned. "Yes… My husband and I found you unconscious on a small island south of here. Couldn't just leave you to die like that, so we brought you here."

More questions popped into the young tactician's head. How in Naga's name did she end up passed out on an island when she was positive she went straight to bed after talking with King Marth? Did someone somehow smuggle her out of the castle? And if so, how did they even get past all of the guards?

"I-I see… You have my gratitude," Katarina thanked, giving the woman in front of her a deep bow.

The woman waved a hand and rolled her eyes. "Please, it was nothing. Just doing the right thing."

"Still, there are many people who wouldn't do the right thing," Katarina replied with a small hint of a smile. "I must thank you, Lady…?

"Oh, where are my manners? You can call me Rose, dear. None of that fancy 'Lady' stuff. My husband and I were never ones for formality," Rose dismissed.

"Ah, my apolo… I mean, uh, sorry," Katarina muttered awkwardly to the now laughing woman. It wasn't too often that she was given the opportunity to speak informally. Working with the most important nobles and leaders of a kingdom did not offer such a luxury. In fact, the last Katarina could recall speaking such casually was with K… No, now was not the time to dig through old memories. "Anyways, Rose, I'm Katarina. Sorry for, er, causing you all this trouble."

The brief look of surprise did not escape Katarina's eyes. "Oh… That's, ah, quite the name," Rose muttered, her mild discomfort obvious to the world much to Katarina's confusion. Rose shook her head. "Anyways, it's not a problem. Think nothing of it."

Katarina gave a small smile. "But I insist. I'll be sure that you receive at least some kind of gift as soon as I get back home. Speaking of which, where exactly are we, Rose?"

"Southtown, honey."

Southtown? Katarina frowned. That was not a familiar name, which was unusual since she had to be knowledgeable about every city that conducted business with Altea. Perhaps it was from a kingdom that did not interact with Altea? If so, then it would be likely that she was quite the distance away from home.

How troublesome.

"I see. And where exactly is Southtown?"

"Huh…? You never heard of Southtown?" Rose asked, her eyebrows raised in skepticism. "I mean, I know we're pretty small, but our town is pretty well known… Maybe you're not from around here? Ah, no matter. Southtown is part of Ylisse, honey."

Ylisse? Damn, an unknown kingdom. That would probably mean in a long trip home.

"Is that so? And how close is Ylisse to Altea?"

The small skepticism evolved into complete disbelief. "Altea…?" Rose shook her head. "Honey, are you okay?"

Katarina shot the woman a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Honey, the kingdom of Altea was dissolved several centuries ago."

* * *

**Author's Note: Just an idea I had after finishing up Awakening and Shin Menshou. Fire Emblem is sooooo good. X.X I wonder how many hours I've put into just those two games...? Anyways, Shin Menshou made me adore Katarina. I just wish that the game had gone more in-depth with her personal background and how interactions with other characters. It's such a shame that the vast amount of units makes it hard for Fire Emblem to properly go in-depth with each character. Oh, well. Can't get everything you wish for.**

**And to those who are wondering about the progress on Spiraling Destiny and Mirror of Dreams: I'm getting there. I currently have written about 40 pages for Spiraling Destiny and about 10 for Mirror of Dreams. Hopefully, I will be able to crank those next chapters out as soon as I can. My apologizes to those who are still faithfully waiting. **

**Anyways, thank you for reading. I would appreciate any feedback or comments since those words are what help me continue writing.**

**Currently**** listening to: Compromise by Stan SB**

**~Goojila**


	2. The Tacticians

**No beta once again for this chapter. Sigh.**

**Goojila does not own Fire Emblem and probably will never own it.**

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**Two Worlds of a Misguided Tactician**

**Chapter 2: The Tacticians**

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Katarina stared expectantly at the woman in front of her. Any second now, Rose would suddenly burst into laughter and say something along the lines of, "You should have seen the look on your face!" As seconds passed on, Katarina began to stare more intently at Rose's face for any sign of a grin or amusement.

It did not come.

"Maybe I should have called the doctor all?" Rose muttered to herself as the woman noticed how rigidly rooted Katarina was sitting. "Her head is definitely not in the right place…"

"W-Wait!" Katarina interrupted as she snapped out of shock and jumped up in order to grab one of Rose's shoulders. That last (rude) comment aside, something was wrong here. "Dissolved how long ago?"

"I can't give you an exact number, but it's been well over hundreds of years, dear," Rose replied with her eyes closed. "It's pretty funny actually, considering your name and how it relates to Altea and everything."

Her name? Hesitantly, Katarina asked the inn-keeper what was so funny about her name and its relation was to Altea.

"Huh? Your name? Didn't your parents tell you the legends of the legendary King Marth? The name Katarina pops up in them."

Curiosity erupted within Katarina. Just what had been written about her?

After a minute, Katarina slowly sat back down onto the bed. No. She would not ask. While interesting, now was not the time to ponder history's perception of her: her current situation was far more important.

It had nothing to do with the sense of dread that was building up like a ball in her stomach.

Her mind began to race wildly, processing the limited amount of information she had obtained from Rose. Legend.… Hundreds of years…. After several seconds, the tactician finally reached a conclusion.

A very outlandish, unlikely conclusion.

"_Naga forbid… I didn't… No, there's no possible way._" Katarina shook her head. "R-Rose. Can I ask you what the date is today?"

"Hmm? It's May 7th."

So the day and the month matched up. "And the year?"

Shock couldn't even begin describe what Katarina was feeling as Rose told Katarina the year as Katarina's usually rosy cheeks turned pale white. For some odd reason, the room seemed to be getting blurrier by the second.

"Katarina! Are you okay?" A hand immediately went over Katarina's forehead as Rose rushed over to catch the falling purple haired young woman.

"I-I'm fine, Rose," Katarina whispered weakly, gently pushing the concerned older woman away. "Just felt dizzy for a second, that's all."

Rose nodded understandingly. "Why don't I get you some water?"

"Thank you," Katarina said with a small smile as she watched Rose leave the room, leaving Katarina to her own thoughts.

Time-travel. While the logical part of her mind scoffed at the absurdity of the very idea, the rest of her mind challenged the logical part to come up with a better answer. Back home, Katarina had always rolled her eyes at the fantastic stories of time-travel and dimension hopping. How could one possibly hope to defy the established notions of physics and laws of magic? Still, despite the lack of empirical evidence and scientific proof, many scientists devoted a large portion of their lives these phenomena. If she could recall correctly, wasn't Merric studying time travel?

Or maybe she was just going crazy. Considering her situation and mental state of being, that idea seemed all the more likely.

Katarina shook her head. Whether she was actually a subject of time-travel or she was just losing her mind, it did not change the fact that she was still in a foreign environment. For all she knew, Rose could be a very deceitful con artist or slave trader. Even if she wasn't, that still didn't change the fact that Katarina had absolutely no knowledge about her situation. To make matters worse, the tome that she usually carried with her was missing along with all her other belongings, leaving Katarina broke and defenseless. Maybe she cou-

"Here you go, Katarina!" Rose's cheerful voice called out as a small glass of water was suddenly thrust in front of her.

"M-Much appreciated," Katarina stuttered before pretending to a take a small sip from the glass despite being feeling slightly parched. Better to be thirsty than make the mistake of drinking from a possibly drugged or poisoned glass. The tactician set her glass down on the stand next to the bed. "Can I ask you where you put my belongings, Rose?"

"Ah, you mean your coin purse and that small book? It's under the bed. Don't worry, I didn't take a single coin from you," Rose said with a wink. "I'm not desperate enough to be stealing from the defenseless."

To Katarina's relief, what the inn-keeper had said was true. Every single coin was still in her coin purse (not that there was much in the first place), and her tome remained in the same condition as it was from the night before. There was one thing however…

"And the clothes I was wearing before?"

Guilt flashed on the inn-keeper's face. "When we found you, your clothes were completely shredded… I did my best to patch it up, but the damage was far too much. I'm sorry."

Katarina sat numbly on the bed. Feelings of immense sadness and disappointment washed all over her. Those clothes had been a gift from Kleine for her birthday. The proud blonde had presented Katarina with those clothes, insisting that purple was the only color that complimented her properly. They were the sole reminder of her.

"I…It's okay, Rose. You did your best," Katarina heard herself say as she tried her best to keep a stony mask on her face.

"Still… I just feel absolutely terrible. I can tell how much those meant to you," Rose replied gently said, reading past the brave front Katarina was desperately trying to put up.

"You did your best," Katarina repeated before slowly standing up. "There's no use crying or grieving over something out of your control." How ironic, considering her own personal demons. Katarina gave a bitter smile that went unnoticed by Rose.

"I suppose you're right, dear." The inn-keeper shook her head and glanced absent-mindedly out the window. "So what's your next course of action?"

Another burning question that nagged Katarina. The tactician shot Rose an apologetic look. "To be honest, I have no clue. Like I said earlier, I really don't know my bearings and how I'm going to get back home."

"Speaking of which, where exactly are you from? Maybe I can point you in the right direction?"

Katarina froze. It wasn't exactly the best idea to go around claiming that you had somehow magically transported into the future. So, instead, the tactician went with the wiser decision and made her answer as vague as possible.

"I come from a small village across the sea." The young purple haired woman could feel her lips curl slightly. How very original.

"So you come from the continent of Valm?" Rose asked, a puzzled look on her face.

Valm? For now, Katarina could go with that. "Yes, Valm."

"Funny, you don't have a Valmese accent…. In fact, I could have sworn that you were from Ylisse."

"Like I said: a small village. We're quite separated from the main kingdoms. In fact, I would be shocked if anyone from the main kingdoms has heard of us," Katarina supplied quickly. A lifetime spent lying sure did come in handy in situations such as this one.

The stout woman gave a small shrug, quickly accepting Katarina's explanation. "Is that so? Well you learn something new every day. Anyways, you'll probably going to need a way to get back home."

"Yes," Katarina nodded before sighing. "But I'm afraid that I don't have much money on me…." To prove her point, the young woman flashed Rose the contents of her coin purse.

"That's not nearly enough," Rose mused, stroking her chin in deep thought before her eyes suddenly lit up in enlightenment. "Of course…. Why didn't I think of them sooner?" You can just ask them for help."

"Them?"

Rose gave a triumphant grin. "The Shepherds, of course."

Shepherds? Why would she turn to herders for help?

The puzzled look on Katarina's face made Rose smirk. "You see, they ar-"

"S-SOMEONE! P-PLEASE H-HELP! BRIGANDS AR- GAHHHH!"

* * *

"Chrom… we… something!"

"What… we do?"

"Oh, wait… I know what to do!"

Light slowly flooded into soft, grey eyes as an involuntary groan escaped the lips of a young man. The voices that previously hovered around him halted. Slight, dull pain ran its course over the young man's right thigh as his hand immediately went over it.

"Ow…" he grunted, finally taking in his surroundings for the first time since his awakening. Breathtaking plains greeted him. Trees, lush and vibrant in color, swayed with the wind as the wonderful wildlife that inhabited these plains moved harmoniously moved about. Sweet floral scent drifted towards his nostrils –most likely from the white flowers that were next to him.

He was also greeted by three figures that stood imposingly around him.

"Heh, uh, oops?" a young, feminine voice called out. The young man turned his head towards the voice and met the sight of a blond girl who was sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. "I guess kicking you awake was a bad idea after all."

"Really now, Lissa. And here I thought you were a healer," an amused voice called out as a handsome, blue haired man stepped into the young man's line of vision. The blue haired man man offered his hand. "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. Give me your hand."

The giant sword strapped to the blue haired man's hips did not escape his eyes. Hesitantly, the young man stared at the offered hand before looking up.

Warm, compassionate eyes greeted him.

He accepted the hand.

"T-Thank you," the young man stuttered, his mind still slightly disoriented from his little "nap" as he was pulled up. His eyes briefly noticed an odd tattoo that was etched onto his hand. Before he could further ponder about said tattoo, the man who had helped him up interrupted him from his thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Chrom."

Where had that come from? Blinking owlishly, the young man gave a small frown. "Er, that is your name, right?"

"Ah, yes. Yes, it is," Chrom slowly replied as his eyes began to study the young man in front of him. "So you know who I am then?"

No, he hadn't. As far as he was concerned, this was the first time the young man had ever seen the blue haired man in front of him. "No… Well, your name just came to me, but I'm positive that I've never met you before," he explained before breaking out into a slight grimace of pain. For some reason, his head felt as if it was about to split wide open.

Chrom began to stroke his chin in deep thought. "Odd. I'm pretty sure I've never met you before either." He shook his head. "No matter. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you here?"

The young man paused, his headache intensifying the harder he tried to tap into his memories. "I… I don't know?"

"You… You don't know?"

"Oh! Chrom! I know what this is! It's called amnesia!" the young girl who was previously quiet suddenly exclaimed. Excitement flashed through her eyes. "Do you have a headache? It's a common symptom of am-"

"Milady, it's called a load of pegasus dung," a new voice interjected. Suddenly, a tall, burly man wearing heavy blue armor stepped in front of the young man and shot him a fierce glare. "We're to believe that you remember milord's name but not your own?"

"I-I swear! It's the truth!" the young man nervously explained, taking a step back as he noticed the man's hand inch towards the lance that was strapped to his back. Best to keep a distance if things turned violent.

"Easy now, Frederick. What if he's telling the truth?" Chrom calmly asked before placing a hand over Frederick's hand to prevent the knight from taking out his lance. "We can't just leave him here all alone."

A tiny voice in the young man's head urged him to begin running despite the comforting words of Chrom.

"How much I rather," Frederick sighed much to the young man's relief. "But I suppose you're are correct, milord… Although I must emphasize caution."

Chrom gave a chuckle. "Right then. We'll just take him back to town and then figure things out from there on."

"Uh, don't I get a say in this?" the amnesiac man asked hesitantly only to get shot down by another glare from Frederick.

"Peace, friend. You'll have your word when we get to town," Chrom reassured him, noticing Frederick's open hostility. "Isn't that right, Frederick?"

"Yes, milord," he relented.

"Excellent."

* * *

As much as he tried to enjoy the scenery and chatting with the blond girl, the amnesiac man found it a bit difficult to properly to do so. Unfortunately, Frederick had taken the responsibility of guarding the rear with his horse, claiming to be "the most experienced" at that specific position. During the entire walk, the young man could feel the daggers the knight was glaring at him, almost daring him to make a sudden or suspicious move.

"_Just ignore him,_" he thought to himself as he slowly increased his pace in order to create a little bit of more distance from the knight. "_Just enjoy the beautiful, lush wildlife and try not to look too suspicious. The last thing I need is to be executed by Mr. Knight over there just because I look at Chrom the wrong way._" Attempting to crack a smile and possibly diffuse the tension he was feeling, the young man brought his attention over to the young girl beside him. "I'm sorry, but I never got your name."

"Oh! That's right! My name is Lissa, nice to meet you!" Lissa greeted, giving him a small, lady-like bow before immediately slapping him on the arm. "Good to have you aboard here! It's nice to have someone else to talk to besides Chrom and Frederick even though it's probably only for a short while."

Wincing, the young man rubbed his arm tenderly. "Nice to meet you too, Lissa," he grinned despite the pain, finding the young girl's happy-go-lucky attitude contagious and lifting.

"I'm glad that you've made introductions with my delicate little sister," Chrom chuckled before shaking his head in mild amusement. The young man resisted the urge to snort. Delicate? Fat chance judging from how hard he had just been hit.

"Hey! I'm not delicate!" Lissa complained, proving the amnesiac's point by throwing a punch towards her brother in mock anger only for her punch to be easily blocked. The girl gave a huff. "Ignore my thick-headed brother… But anyways, you're lucky that the Shepherds found you… Brigands sure would've been a rude awakening!"

"S-Shepherds?" the amnesiac asked incredulously. These people tended sheep in full armor and dresses?

Chrom laughed, noticing the bewildered expression on his face. "It's no easy job, I can assure you that much. Just ask Frederick the Wary over here."

The knight was clearly fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "And it's a title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution."

"I… I see," the young man muttered, noting the amusement twinkling in Chrom's navy blue eyes. He still didn't get it. Perhaps "Shepherds" was some kind of inside joke? He shook his head. "But the way… I've been meaning to ask you this earlier, but where exactly are we?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot that you lost your memory!" Lissa blurted out as she slapped her forehead lightly. "Well, I can't give you the specific location, but I do know that we're located in the south region of Ylisse."

Ylisse? The young man began scratching the back of his head in frustration. "What is Ylisse?"

Silence filled the traveling group. While it appeared Lissa and Chrom were doing their best to contain their chuckles in attempts to respect the man's memory problems (Chrom doing a much better job than Lissa), the horseback-riding knight made his thoughts and emotions clear to the world.

"Someone pay this actor! He plays the fool quite well… The furrowed brow is most convincing!" he called out sarcastically much the amnesiac man's displeasure. Again, the hand was nearing the lance.

"Frederick, please," Chrom intervened before the knight could get more jabs in. The blue haired man flashed one of his warm smiles. "The Halidom of Ylisse is a nation that is currently being ruled by Emmeryn, out Exalt."

"Halidom of Ylisse… Exalt… Okay, got it," the amnesiac man murmured to himself before shooting Chrom an appreciative look. "Thank you for the explanation."

"Least I can do, stranger."

"Robin."

"Huh?"

"Robin," he repeated firmly, surprise suddenly overtaking his features. "H-Huh? I… I suddenly just remembered my name. Well, at least that's one annoyance taken care of."

"Robin, eh? That's not a name native to Ylisse," Chrom mumbled while ignoring the sarcastic, scathing remarks Frederick continued to make in the background. "Ah, well, that's something for another time. Anyways, I believe that we will be soon approaching town. Until then, Robin, just stick close t-"

"Chrom! Look! The town!" Lissa, who was walking ahead of the group, shrieked as she pointed a finger ahead of her.

Thick, grey smoke drifted into the air. Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over Robin as the amnesiac man did his best not to gag.

The smell of burning flesh was present.

"Dammit! Frederick! The town is burning! We have to evacuate the people!" Chrom ordered, already drawing out his large broadsword from its sheathe and charging ahead.

"Sir! What should we do with him?" Frederick called out as he rode behind the blue haired man, obviously referring to Robin.

"He's not burning, is he? We can deal with him later!"

"Ah, Chrom! Wai-ah… they're already gone." Sighing, Robin allowed his eyes to aimlessly wander his surroundings. A small, nagging feeling from within urged him to follow Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa. But could he really be of help? More than likely, he was just going to be a burden to the group.

"Hmm, perhaps I might have some sort of weapon or item that could be of use?" Robin muttered to himself as his hands reached into his cloak. Seconds later, the amnesiac man was awarded with a small, purple tome. "Well, that turned out fine. Maybe I can just throw this book at them and hope for the best?" Robin said to himself humorously before tucking the tome back to the confines of his cloak. Sighing, he turned his focus to the matters that were far more pressing than the small book he had in his possession.

Like the village that was burning right in front of his eyes.

Robin quickly weighed the options in his mind. He was weaponless. He had no clue how to fight. He would probably just get in the way of Chrom and the others. There was a high chance that he could die if he went in.

People were also dying right this moment.

Screw it.

He charged forward.

* * *

The term "then all things went to hell" couldn't be any more appropriate.

That was precisely what Katarina thought as she dragged a heaving Rose by the arm. One moment she was having a conversation with the stout woman. The next thing she knew, Katarina was smelling smoke and hearing shouts from outside. Years of training and experience on the battlefield told Katarina exactly what to do.

Get the hell out.

"Ka…Katarina! W-Where are we going?" Rose wheezed from behind, her body clearly not accustomed to this level of physical activity. "And… And w-what about my husband?"

"Anywhere but here. And your husband wasn't in the inn, remember? That means he either got out safely or something happened to him," Katarina responded as her eyes darted rapidly all over the place. While she could easily fight a couple of brigands off, Katarina wasn't stupid enough to believe that she could take them all on single-handedly. Factor in the fact that she would have to watch a civilian who couldn't fight, and the answer was more than clear. "We can look for your husband once we're safe. For now, we need to find cover and hi-"

"Well well well…. Look at what we gots here, lads."

Perfect. Just perfect.

Three brigands stepped out from the shadows, wide lecherous grins on each of their faces. The leader of the trio, presumably the one standing in the middle, carried a large axe that had fresh blood dripping from its tip. He spoke up. "More lasses for us."

Katarina instinctively drew Rose closer to her as she immediately placed her free hand on her personal tome.

"Kill the older one… but leave the pretty one over there for me."

"Bah… You always gets the pretty ones!"

"Shut up and gets to it!"

Already, lightning was crackling between her fingertips, the anger that was bubbling from within fueling the intensity of the lightning that Katarina was gathering.

She would not miss this.

"Just leave some for me, will ya? Come here la…!"

Out of nowhere, bright blue lightning struck from the heavens, instantly incinerating the brigand that had begun to reach out towards Katarina. His two comrades, once smirking and brimming with arrogance, gave the tactician a snarl and brandished their weapons.

Instead of feeling threatened by said weapons, Katarina gave a small frown. Odd. That spell had been stronger if she remembered correctly. That had been one of her original spells –one that should also struck the two others along with the first. Ah, well, she could ponder that later. For now, she had to deal with the last two.

"You bi-"

"O divine sword of lightning heed my call and send forth a bolt of thy fury…" Katarina chanted as blue lighting once again fell from the sky to disperse another bandit. The remaining one, now paralyzed with fear, stared at Katarina with his mouth agape.

"H-HELP!" he called out, suddenly scrambling away from the tactician and Rose before Katarina could conjure up another spell.

"Wow… That was amazing, Katarina. Didn't know you were a mage," Rose commented from behind as she flashed Katarina a grateful smile. "Thank you for protecting me."

"It's the least I could do, Rose," the tactician replied, keeping a hand on her tome in case of another ambush. Intense pain suddenly sprang on Katarina as she hunched over immediately. Her mind, once sharp and alert from the adrenaline that was pumping from before, felt drained and heavy. Katarina bit back a curse that was threatening to escape from her lips.

Magic fatigue: a common consequence that resulted when one casted a spell that was far too advance for the user. Katarina was no stranger to this, as she experienced this often when she had begun her training as an assassin under Eremiah. But this was strange -the spell she had just cast was, by no means, a difficult one to cast for a mage of her caliber. So why she feeling magic fatigue all of a sudden?

"T-There she is, lads! Over there!"

Damn. Reinforcements.

"Rose, can you get us away from here? I don't know if I can take them all," Katarina panted, already throwing an arm over the shoulders of the kind inn-keeper for support.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid that they're already closing in on us."

"Yeah! That's the one that killed our comrades!"

Not good. She needed a couple of more seconds to be able to cast another spell. And more than likely, the next spell would be significantly weaker than her previous one –something along the lines of a simple Thunder or Elfire spell. Either way, the spell would not suffice in this current situation.

"It's always the pretty ones that have to go first, huh?"

Only a miracle could save them now.

"You're going to pay for killin-gah!"

Insert miracle.

"Milord! More brigands over here!"

Katarina could only blink in surprise as a burly knight came riding in and instantly trampled an unfortunate bandit. The lance that he wielded danced around mesmerizingly as the knight easily dispatched the remaining forces.

"Are you okay?" a voice from behind asked.

"Y-Yes, we're okay," Katarina replied, slightly startled from the sudden question as she turned her head towards the sound of the voice.

A handsome blue haired man that reminded Katarina of Marth smiled before her. "I'm glad to hear that. And good work, Frederick," he complimented.

"Thank you, but I'm merely fulfilling my duty," the man who must have been Frederick replied, the stern look never leaving his face. He gestured towards Katarina and Rose. "What about them, milord?"

The blue haired man thoughtfully stoked his chin. "We can't leave them alone now… So I guess we will have to just keep them close until we clean this matter up."

"Even as we engage them?" Frederick asked, gesturing towards the remaining brigands that stood beyond the bridge that stood before them. Luckily for the group, they had yet to be detected.

"Well, I'm afraid we don't have much of choice since we can't leave these two unprotected."

"I can fight," Katarina quietly interjected, drawing the attention of the two men. She raised her magic tome in the air. "Even though it may not be much right now, I can provide some backup."

"In your condition?" Frederick asked, noticing the visible signs of Katarina's mental exhaustion.

Katarina merely nodded her head in response. "Yes, and even if you won't let me fight, I can sti-"

"Chrom, wait up!" a voice from afar called out. Seconds later, a white haired man carrying what appeared to be a blonde teenage girl on his back ran up to the group out of breath.

"Aw, thanks for the ride, Robin," the girl laughed as she jumped off his back.

"No problem…. Lissa," the young man named Robin muttered, still struggling to catch his breath.

The blue haired man shot the blonde girl an annoyed look. "Lissa, did you just drag Robin out to a battlefield just so didn't have to run all the way here?"

"No! You two left me behind! I ran into Robin right after you two just left me, and he offered me a quick ride here," she pouted as the girl returned the man's stare with a glare.

"Ah, my apologies, milady. I should have offered you a ride on my steed," Frederick announced, shooting the young girl an apologetic look before giving Robin a neutral one. "And you have my thanks for escorting milady here safely."

"Like I said: it's no problem," Robin dismissed quickly. The young man narrowed his eyes as he studied his surroundings. "I think we should take care of this problem first before we discuss Lissa's choice of using me as her steed," he pointed out, waving his hands towards the remaining brigands that were across the bridge from them.

"Agreed," the blue haired man voice out before turning to face Katarina and Rose. "My name is Chrom, by the way."

"Katarina."

"Katarina…? You mean like the one from the legends?" Chrom asked with a bewildered look on his face. "That's not a name many people would willingly choose…" Guilt instantly flashed on his face as the blue haired man immediately sent an apology towards Katarina. "Ah, but I'm sure your parents must have had a good reason for picking it."

Again, surprise and confusion for bearing that name. Katarina could only give a frown as more questions appeared in her mind. Just what sort of legacy had she left behind for her name to get a reaction such as this?

"And what about you?"

"Rose, milord. It's truly an honor to meet you despite the circumstances."

Chrom nodded his head, ignoring the looks of confusion Katarina and Robin were sending him. "Well then, Katarina and Rose, do you mind staying back for a bit? You too, Robin," he ordered before the young man could say anything. "You don't even have a weapon on you."

"Well, I do have this if it counts for anything." He pulled a ragged looking purple tome from his cloak. Five astonished faces stared back. "I'm guessing that this is a good thing?"

"Unbelievable," Frederick muttered. "You don't even recognize what a magical tome is? How far do you intend to play the role of the fool?"

"I…I'm sorry?"

Katarina studied Robin more carefully. Why would he carry around a tome when he didn't even know what it was? Perhaps he just happened to stumble upon it? Curious piquing her, she asked Robin if she could take a quick glance at his tome.

"Sure, why not."

Complex magical spells instantly greeted Katarina as she turned open the first page. There was no way a neophyte could possibly hope to comprehend, let alone even cast, the spells and formulas that laid within. There must have been years of research hidden within this small book. Naga, even Merric would have been impressed at what was written right in front of her.

The stunned look on Katarina's face must have worried Robin. "Are you okay, Katarina?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine," she stuttered, shoving the tome back into Robin's hands before shooting him a questioning look.

"Is something the matter, Katarina?" Chrom asked.

The tactician shook her head. "It's nothing," she replied. The questions could be asked later. She turned her attention back towards Chrom. "I can fight. The small fatigue I was feeling is already gone."

This was a lie.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Sighing, Chrom ran a hand through his blue hair –an act that mirrored the great king that Katarina served. "I suppose the extra set of hands wouldn't hurt."

"Thank you," she bowed.

"What about me?" Robin asked only to be greeted by the same skeptical look from Chrom. "I can fight as well."

The blue haired man snorted. "This coming from the man who didn't know what a tome was?"

A sheepish look crossed his face. "I-I know it may not seem like it, but I have this feeling that once I get into the heat of battle, I'll know how to use this thing." He flashed Chrom a reassuring smile. "Trust me."

"…Alright, Robin. I'll believe in you," Chrom nodded after a brief pause. "I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you."

"Thank you."

"If you are finished, milord, shall we finish up the rest of these bandits? I'm afraid that the fires continue to spread as we speak," Frederick interjected.

"That's right! We have to hurry up and save the town!" Lissa exclaimed, pulling out a long staff. "People need our help!"

The blue haired man nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, we've wasted enough time as it is. Let's hurry up an-"

"Wait."

Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa paused, surprised at the sudden interjection.

Lilac eyes met steel grey ones in shock. Katarina motioned Robin to speak first.

"Er, Chrom, I don't think it's a good idea to charge in just like that," he said, ignoring the indignant looks Frederick was sending him. "The only way to get to those brigands is to cross that bridge. If they notice us crossing, then we'll be put in a really bad position."

"Huh? Why's that?" Chrom asked as interest appeared on his face.

"The bottleneck effect," Katarina quietly spoke up, slightly surprised that Robin knew this as well. "The bridge acts as a funnel that favors the bandits. Crossing over a bridge recklessly like that is foolish no matter how strong or skilled an individual is. On top of that, the brigands could also easily set the bridge on fire or cut it off."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

Robin quickly gave his surroundings another scan, information and ideas flying through his head at rapid speeds. "The water."

"The… water?"

"You plan to have the mages cross the waters and pick off any unsuspecting bandits from a distance. Since the bandits are slowed down by the water and their heavy melee weapons, it gives the mages enough time to cast another spell or escape. In the meantime, both Frederick and Chrom successfully cross the bridge and begin their assault on the remaining opposition. Lissa stays close to Chrom and Frederick and supports." Katarina spoke up, her eyes closed. "Pretty well thought out actually. I'm guessing Rose, who cannot fight, will stay behind Lissa?"

"Yes… It's the best I can come up with right now," Robin blushed, scratching his right temple sheepishly. "We have the element of surprise on our side, so a preemptive strike seems most logical right now."

"Agreed," Katarina announced, looking towards the now shocked Lissa, Frederick, and Chrom for approval of Robin's plan. Lissa was the first to speak up.

"You… You guys can see and imagine all that?" she asked timidly. Clearly, the intellectual prowess of the duo was a bit overwhelming.

Robin nodded his head. "Somehow. I don't know how, but all of this comes very easily to me."

"Perhaps you were some sort of tactician before you lost your memory?" Chrom offered.

"Perhaps."

"Wait… You have amnesia?" Katarina asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity. That would explain why Robin didn't know what his magic tome –he was definitely a wild card in this upcoming battle. The purple haired woman made a mental note to keep Robin close by.

"So it appears. But can we discuss that later? We have bandits to take care of," Robin said, already jumping into the water and motioning Katarina to do the same.

Katarina said nothing and instead jumped into the waist deep water as well. She gave the remaining three a careful look. "Wait for our signal then charge in."

"Got it," Chrome nodded as he instructed Frederick and Lissa to go to their respective position. "Then on your count."

Despite the heat of flames, Katarina couldn't help but shiver from the icy cold waters that her body was submerged in. The fact that she was wearing the thin clothes Rose had put on for her did not exactly help. Nevertheless, the tactician of Altea trekked on, sticking close to Robin.

"Robin, do you mind casting the first spell? To be honest, I still feel a bit shaky from before," Katarina muttered so that her voice wouldn't be heard by a roaming bandit. She pretended to not notice the sharp intake of air from the amnesiac man.

"Are you going to be okay?" Robin whispered back, momentary pausing in order to face his companion in the eye. "Maybe we should turn back and regroup?"

Katarina shook her head. "No, I'm going to be fine. I won't be able to cast my more powerful spells, but I should be able to cast the minor ones with ease."

"Alright," Robin relented, biting his lower lips in worry before shaking his head. "Well, I guess it's too late to go back… We're already here."

Enormous flames greeted the two. Apparently, the brigands had taken the liberty of spreading the fires and plundering this side of the town while the group had occupied the other side of the bridge. Thankfully, the number of bandits that actually remained was a manageable size.

"Are you ready?" Katarina whispered to Robin, who had already pulled out his tome and was flipping its pages for an appropriate spell. "Look for something easy."

"Got it," Robin mumbled back as he suddenly stopped turning the pages and began to intently read from a page. "This should do… Become a blade that strikes my enemies… Thunder!"

A discharge of mana erupted from Robin's body. Seconds later, a small bolt of lightning that came streaking down from the skies. Its victim, a passing bandit, plunged headfirst into the waters as the smell of burnt flesh began to drift in the air.

"What was that?"

"Damn, we're under attack, lads! Find the one who casted that and bring me his head!"

"_These guys act fast for mere bandits… There also quite organized as well which is quite unsual,_" Katarina thought to herself as she mimicked Robin's actions and began to cast her own spell. "Be the gust that lifts me to victory… Wind!"

Instead of lightning, blades of wind came rushing down upon the approaching enemies, inflicted several cuts and gashes on them. Pain surged from within Katarina as the magic fatigue her body was feeling intensified. Gritting her teeth, the tactician did her best to ignore the growing pain within her as she set up to cast another spell. Next to her, Robin was finishing up chanting his spell.

"Thunder!" One more dead brigand.

"There in the waters!"

"Don't bunch together like that, idiots! Spread out and surround them!"

"_Looks like the plan is going without a hitch_."

"H-HELP! FROM THE BRIDGE! THERE ARE MORE O-GAHHH!"

Perfect timing as well. It appeared that Chrom and Frederick had coordinated their attacks perfectly with theirs. At this rate, Lissa wouldn't have to use a single healing spell.

"Call for backup!"

"We don't have anyone left!"

Another battle. Another victory.

* * *

"My, I can't thank you enough!" Rose exclaimed as she handed a glass of juice to Chrom. "Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't showed up, milord. It's truly a shame that we lost some folks today, but at least you saved the majority of us."

"It's no problem," he said solemnly as he took a small sip from his drink. "I just wish we could have saved everyone."

"I'll be sure to make sure everyone who passed away today will their proper burials," Rose announced.

"Thank you, Rose. That puts me more at ease… By the way, this is very delicious. Strawberries?"

"Yes, milord! I take pride in my strawberry juice!" Rose beamed. "And thank you for spending the time to find my husband. Heavens know what would have happened if you haven't."

"Think nothing of it," Chrom waved off as he handed the glass back to the innkeeper. "While we appreciate the hospitality, I'm afraid we must be off soon."

"Already?"

"Yes, I'm afraid we still have to deal with our resident amnesiac over here," Chrom said as he pointed a finger at Robin, who, in return, gave an awkward smile. "Relax… We're not going to put you in chains."

"I sure hope not," he muttered, warily eyeing Frederick who was still clearly suspicious of Robin.

"But wow, Robin, you're really amazing, aren't you?" Lissa asked as she noisily downed her drink while munching on a bit of meat Rose had given her earlier. Bits of said meat began flying out of her mouth as she spoke much to Robin's amusement. "Magic and tactics? That's quite the impressive repertoire you've got there!"

Red colored Robin's face as he immediately began to sheepishly scratch the back of his head. "It's nothing much… I just did what I could do at the moment."

"But what you did today saved an entire town and its people. For that, you have my thanks. And you too, Katarina," Chrom announced, shooting the two a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Katarina nodded her head. "You're welcome."

"Hey, Chrom! Why don't we have these two join the Shepherds? We definitely need someone with their brains and talents," Lissa offered up as the piece of meat that she was holding suddenly flew from her hands.

"Milady, that might not be the wisest thing," Frederick hurriedly retorted, instinctively placing an arm over her. "Robin especially cannot be so easily trusted. A man claims amnesia but then somehow knows milord's name and how to use magic? I must once again urge caution. For all we know, he could be an assassin."

"Peace, Frederick. Lissa is right," Chrom calmly said as he held a hand up. "Naga knows how lacking we are in tacticians… If that previous skirmish showed anything, these two are probably what the Shepherds need. Besides, anyone who is willing to risk their lives for the sake of Ylissean citizens is trustworthy in my books."

"Milord is far too trusting," Frederick sighed before a small smile finally graced his face. "But my duty states that I must follow milord's wishes… And I suppose an assassin would have much more finesse than what Robin has displayed thus so far."

"Uh, thanks, Frederick. I guess it's a good thing that I lack the finesse an assassin would normally need," Robin mumbled, eliciting laughter from the rest of the group. A grin made its way on his face as well as the amnesiac joined in. "Anyways, Chrom, it'd be an honor to join you."

Chrom nodded as a satisfied look made its way onto his face. "Excellent. And what about you, Katarina? Will you be joining us as well?"

Katarina gave a pause, the glass cup she was holding right as her lips were about to touch it. The offer certainly was quite appealing. The tight-knit feeling of camaraderie was already evident from how each group member interacted with each other. And as much as she enjoyed Rose's company, Katarina did not want to overextend her welcome nor was she going to find a way home staying in this town.

"I would like that as well," Katarina quietly responded. "Rose, I'm sorry for leaving you so soon even though you cared f-"

"Dear, you've saved not only my life, but this town as well. I think you've more than repaid your debt," Rose laughed, a warm, almost motherly look appearing in her eyes as she gently placed a hand on Katarina's shoulder. "Can you at least pay this old lady a visit if you're ever around?"

A strange sensation overcame Katarina as she did her best to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat. Odd. How was she getting attached to a woman whom she only met for one day? She should not get attached. She was going to go back home. She should not make any promises.

"Yes."

* * *

**And the story officially kicks off. I've struggled quite a bit writing this chapter (work + discovering Bravely Default and Tales of the Abyss + working on other stories + writer's block did not help). A big concern of mine is accurately portraying Katarina's character since the game does so little to properly flesh her out. Hopefully, by the time I finish this story, she will be a rich and thought provoking character. **

**Some of you may have noticed that the plan Robin and Katarina concoct is actually the "water trick" exploit. To those who don't know what that is, look it up Youtube. It's genius. I don't know how I would have been able to beat the first four chapters of the game on Lunatic if it wasn't for that particular trick. That and Frederick. **

**Review Corner**

**xXRogueHunterXx: Haha, I'm glad this story caught your interest. Not many people seem to know/appreciate Katarina, so it's glad to see someone liking this story. And as you probably already know, Robin is a male in my story. As for romance between them? Well, you'll see in the future :D. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Patient 0 Zero: I'm happy to hear that I've got a good start and premise over here. Hopefully, this chapter was just as good or even better for you. You were right about Robin being a male… As for the romance between those two? Secret. Haha, sorry, but you'll find out in the near future. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Cormag Ravenstaff: You don't know how happy I felt when I read this. Me? Write a good chapter? Thanks for inflating my ego haha. Seriously though, I consider myself a mediocre writer at best, so reading comments such as yours really brightens my day. Like I said earlier, it was a struggle writing this chapter, but I hope this chapter was one that you enjoyed. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Emrald457: And that is why I should get a beta ASAP haha. Thank you so much for pointing out those mistakes and flaws. I'll be sure to correct them as soon as I post this. And it's awesome to know that you'll be sticking to this even though there's the chance that Robin might not end up with Katarina. I know a lot of people who immediately drop a story when it's revealed that their two favorite characters don't end up together, so it means a lot to know that you'll continue to be here. Thank you for reading and reviewing, and I look forward to seeing you in the future!**

**Gunlord500: Yes! Archanea stories are the best! Although Elibe comes a close second for me. And I'm glad someone out there besides me wishes to see more Katarina-centric stories. She has so much potential as a character, but no one really seems to know/care about her from what I've seen so far. It's a sad thing :/. And yes, I plan to keep going, so don't worry about me stopping anytime in the near future haha. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Finally, to those who are wondering about Spiraling Destiny: About 55 pages written, although at this rate, the chapter will end up having 80+ haha. Dear lord, I seriously need to shorten these chapters.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorite/followed/read my story!**

**Currently listening to: Rain (MitiS Remix) by Astronaut**

**~Goojila**


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